How number of humans catapulted from 4 billion in 1974 to 8 billion in just 48 years
Today, November 15, the population of Earth reached the 8 billion milestone, according to UN projections.
It’s the result of an epic growth spurt in the last century: There were just 2 billion humans in 1925, and 4 billion as recently as 1974—so we once again doubled our numbers in less than 50 years!
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What drove the growth?
People are living better, for longer. Child and maternal mortality rates are down, scientists have developed cures for deadly diseases, and extreme poverty rates have plunged.
But growth is hitting a wall, and it will reshape society.
The world population is expected to peak in the 2080s at 10.4 billion people, hang there for a few decades, then fall at the dawn of the 22nd century. The reason: Fertility rates are declining, and many countries are not producing enough babies to maintain growth.
The populations of 61 countries are projected to drop by at least 1% by 2050, with Eastern Europe suffering the biggest losses.
Shrinking populations alarm economists. Fewer kids means fewer workers contributing to the economy, at the same time the growing ranks of older people will require financial support. Everything from our cities to our healthcare systems will need to be reimagined.
Other countries have the opposite issue. While dozens of nations are grappling with population loss, other countries are experiencing population booms. Eight countries, including Nigeria, Tanzania, and Pakistan, will account for more than half of the projected population increase by 2050. Such blistering population growth can strain resources and make it harder to reduce poverty and provide education, the UN says.
Still, with peak human population on the horizon, we should expect demographic decline to become a more prominent policy issue. Per the UN, in 2050 the number of people 65 or over will be more than double the number of kids under five.
Adapted from Morning Brew
